Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. – Junior Carter Amundsen's (Sheboygan South HS, Sheboygan, Wis.) two-run single in the bottom of the fifth put Augustana ahead and Zach Morgenstern (Peoria Notre Dame HS, East Peoria, Ill.) went the distance on the mound Tuesday as the Vikings opened CCIW play with a 5-2 win over Millikin at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field. Coach Greg Wallace's 15th-ranked club improved to 15-2 overall and 1-0 in the league, while the Big Blue had an eight-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 11-4 on the year and 0-1 in the conference.
 
Morgenstern worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first and Augustana went ahead with a run in the bottom half off Max Paolicchi. Junior Tyler Nunez (Byron HS, Byron, Ill.) led off with a double to right center and moved to third on a passed ball. Sophomore Ryan Kairis (Marist HS, Chicago, Ill.) brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right for a 1-0 Viking lead.
 
Millikin manufactured a run in the top of the third. Mason Bruce led off with a bunt single, stole second and moved to third on Seth Coffey's groundout to short. The next batter, Jake Drada, lifted a medium-deep fly ball into foul territory down the right field line. Amundsen made the catch and a strong throw to catcher Mitchel Ruh (Hinckley-Big Rock HS, Big Rock, Ill.), but Bruce was able to elude the tag and tally the tying run.
 
The Vikings retook the lead in the bottom of the third. Junior Matt Loeffl (Grayslake Central HS, Grayslake, Ill.) led off with a single to center. Paolicchi hit sophomore Nick Mosele (University HS, Bloomington, Ill.) and Nunez sacrificed the runners to second and third. Kairis followed with a single, scoring Loeffl to put Augustana on top 2-1.
 
An Anthony Bryan double and a Coffey single plated the tying run for the Big Blue in the top of the fifth, but the hosts answered again, this time with two runs in the bottom half to take the lead for good. Loeffl reached on an error and moved to second on a Mosele single to center. Mosele was erased on Kairis' fielder's choice, but Kairis stole second, putting runners at second and third. Amundsen then drove a Paolicchi offering up the middle, scoring Loeffl and Kairis to put his club up 4-2.
 
Morgenstern got an insurance run in the eighth when freshman Jake Huber (Lockport HS, Homer Glen, Ill.) delivered Amundsen with a bases-loaded, one-out sacrifice fly to right in his first career plate appearance.
 
Augustana's senior right-hander finished off the complete game, setting Millikin down in the ninth to earn his fifth win in as many starts this year. He gave up eight hits, walked none and fanned five. Paolicchi fell to 2-2 with the loss. He also allowed eight hits and just two of the five runs he surrendered were earned.
 
Amundsen had two hits and two RBI and Loeffl scored twice to pace the Viking offense.
 
Augustana is scheduled to play a three-game conference series versus Carroll in Waukesha, Wisconsin this weekend. A doubleheader on Saturday, April 1 is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Sunday's single game is slated for noon.